The BenQ MH530FHD 1080p Full HD Home Theater Projector Is Home Theater Made Easy

We have a large, 4G display in our living room and a slightly smaller one in our bedroom. They’re great but, at times, I wish we could watch movies on an even bigger screen. With the BenQ MH530FHD 1080p Full HD Home Theater Projector, we can. It is just $549, and it’s simple to set up and use.

BenQ says the BenQ MH530FHD 1080p Full HD Home Theater Projector is “Home Theater Made Easy for the Family.” They go on to say it is…

Tailor-made for simple, reliable performance day in and day out, the BenQ MH530FHD combines the brightest big-picture quality and ease of setup for most sized rooms. With a standard 3 year warranty and an affordable price, this home theater projector is unbeatable compared to our competitors.

Having used the projector for a little over a week, I have to agree. It is simple to set up. Even easier to operate. And it puts a huge, easy-to-watch image on a screen or, in my case, a white wall.

The BenQ MH530FHD 1080p Full HD Home Theater Projector is nothing exciting to look at. It is basically a white box with some controls and a lens. That’s not intended as a negative but simply stating the truth- it isn’t about exciting industrial design but about easy and enjoyable use. It measures 13.09 x 3.9 x 8.44”, weighs just 5.33 lbs and seems to be designed to disappear into whatever room it is placed.

We’ll get into some of the key technological features in a minute, but I first want to focus on the “feature” that caught my attention. That “feature”? It is amazingly simple to set up and operate.

To get started you simply plug the BenQ MH530FHD 1080p Full HD Home Theater Projector into a power adapter and then plug a source device into one of the inputs. (It has a computer in (D-sub 15pin), two HDMI inputs, a composite video in (RCA) and an S-Video in.)

Multiple HDMI and VGA Inputs for Universal Connectivity: Dual HDMI inputs in addition to dual VGA inputs make it easy to connect to your favorite movie, event or game. Multiple, standard inputs make setup less complicated and saves time for your family to get to the fun.

The BenQ MH530FHD 1080p Full HD Home Theater Projector has a two-watt speaker but for sound, you will want to take advantage of the or audio it has audio in and audio out mini jacks. I do wish it had Bluetooth so it could be connected to a Bluetooth speaker but you can always use a Bluetooth adapter connected to the audio in port to accomplish the same thing.

I connected an Amazon Fire TV USB dongle to one of the HDMI ports and a Lightning to HDMI cable to the other so I could throw video from my iPhone to the “big screen.”

I turned the projected on, selected the source I wanted to use and… there was a huge image on the wall! (The latest Planet of the Apes is pretty awesome!) It was amazing how easy it was to go from box to video! (It is worth noting that this image was captured in full daylight with no window coverings reducing the brightness in the room.)

That, however, is just the beginning of the ease-of-use design baked into the BenQ MH530FHD 1080p Full HD Home Theater Projector.

One-Touch Access to Installation Functions: Thoughtfully redesigned, the new remote control includes a dedicated Quick Install button, which instantly accesses installation-friendly functions such as Test Pattern and Keystone directly without selecting nested menus in the On-Screen Display.

Since BenQ is allowing me to keep the projector for a long-term evaluation, I’ll eventually mount it to the ceiling of our downstairs den. That means I’ll need to rely on the remote for all of the controls. That makes the remote a key part of this product. The good news is that, as BenQ notes, the remote has been redesigned and makes everything, from setup to control the projector, a breeze.

Vertical Keystone Correction for Perfectly Aligned Images: Countering the trapezoid effect when the projector must be placed off-center, such as simple placement on top of a table, the vertical keystone function adjusts the image for a perfectly squared image. Keystone correction makes it simple to project ideally aligned images from a variety of locations.

Keystone correction is important if you want to have the right image projected. I’ve used projectors where it is a challenge to get the image just right. In such cases, I’ve found myself having to constantly fuss with the keystone adjustment. That issue has been completely resolved by this projector. For that I am grateful.

Convenient Outer Adjustment Feet: Far superior to projectors with only one adjustment foot, the triple adjustment feet significantly enhance flexibility in a wide variety of meeting rooms, with the additional feet placed at the corners or the projector to facilitate easy movement.

I’ll be mounting the BenQ MH530FHD 1080p Full HD Home Theater Projector to the ceiling so the adjustable feet on the projector are less important than they might otherwise be. Still, since this is a projector that is as useful in the boardroom as it is in your home, having the feet adjustments easily accessible is great. It is one more example of the thought that went into making this product one that is more about viewing than fussing.

Quick-Access Top Lamp Door for Efficient Replacement: Conveniently placed on the top, an easy-to-open lamp door allows fast lamp access, maintenance, and replacement for uninterrupted productivity whether the projector is placed on a table-top or ceiling mounted in meeting rooms. The quick-access lamp door significantly reduces downtime by eliminating the need to uninstall mounted projectors, making lamp changes a quick and simple process.

The lamp in the projector throws off 3300 ANSI Lumens. It is rated to have a minimum of 4500 hours of life before needing to be replaced. (And that number can go as high as 10,000 hours.) Still, at some point, the bulb may need to be replaced. BenQ even made this aspect of the projector user-friendly. If you have even needed to project something only to find that the lamp needed to be replaced, and it took someone with the skills of a technician to do it, you will know how important this aspect of the design is.

In short, BenQ isn’t kidding when they say:

Made for simple, reliable performance for your home day in and day out, BenQ MH530FHD combines bright big-picture quality, intuitive hassle-free operation, and convenient digital connectivity with environmentally conscious power savings and budget-friendly cost.

And while I will be giving the BenQ MH530FHD 1080p Full HD Home Theater Projector a permanent home, it is good to know it was designed in a manner that makes it easy to move from place to place. That is not only the case because of its compact design but because the cabinet has a sculptured pattern that resists dirt and fingerprints. Add in the intuitive controls on both the projector and the remote and making the adjustments you need to make after moving the projector to a new location is a breeze.

As for the image, the projector delivers… it is very good. No, this isn’t my 4K television, but the 1080p resolution is quite enjoyable to watch. The projector incorporates Digital Light Processing (DLP), the same projection technology used in 90% of world’s digital cinemas and 100% of IMAX theaters.

Add to that the fact that “the incredibly durable micromirrors of the DLP chip and the factory sealed DLP engine design” means the image is protected from dust buildup and heat damage. The image is sharp.

The color reproduction is excellent. And the entire experience is excellent regardless of whether you are using the projector in a meeting room or to bring movies to life on a 100” screen or wall.

It is also worth noting that, if the projector sits idle for three minutes without a display source the “Eco Blank Mode” kicks in saving 70% of the lamp power source and blanking the screen. This not only saves energy but saves extends the lamp’s lifespan.

Specifications:

Projection System: DLP

Native Resolution” 1080p, 1920 x 1080

Brightness (ANSI Lumens): 3300 ANSI Lumen

Contrast Ratio: 15000:1

Aspect Ratio: Native 16:9 (5 aspect ratio selectable)

Throw Ratio: 1.37-1.64

Projection Size: 60″~300″

Zoom Ratio: 1.2x

3D Compatibility

HDTV Compatibility: 480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p

Video Compatibility: NTSC, PAL, SECAM

Weight: 5.33 lbs

Dimensions: (W x H x D) 13.09 x 3.9 x 8.44 in

Interface: Computer in (D-sub 15pin), Two HDMI ports, One Composite Video in (RCA), One S-Video in, One Audio in (Mini Jack), One Audio out (Mini Jack), One 2W speaker 2W, One USB (Type mini B), One IR receiver

I like this projector. It is easy to set up and use. It delivers a good image. And adjustments could not be easier. I was, however, curious how it compared to other projectors from the perspective of price. So I did a quick Amazon search for projectors with a DLP projection system, 3300 Lumens, a 1080p resolution; a 16:9 aspect ratio and 3D compatible. At $549, the BenQ MH530FHD 1080p Full HD Home Theater Projector was less than half the price of anything else on Amazon. That makes this projector a great option AND a good buy. Check it out here.

Source: Company Supplied Review Sample of the BenQ MH530FHD 1080p Full HD Home Theater Projector for review and continued personal use

What I Like: Easy set up and use; Good image; Excellent lamp life; Auto-shutoff to save energy

What Needs Improvement:
The speaker is functional but not good for watching movies; I wish it had Bluetooth so it could connect to an audio system wirelessly

About the Author

Having a father who was heavily involved in early laser and fiber-optical research, Dan grew up surrounded by technology and gadgets. Dan’s father brought home one of the very first video games when he was young and Dan remembers seeing a “pre-release” touchtone phone. (When he asked his father what the “#” and “*” buttons were his dad said, “Some day, far in the future, we’ll have some use for them.”)
Technology seemed to be in Dan’s blood but at some point he took a different path and ended up in the clergy. His passion for technology and gadgets never left him.
Dan is married to Raina Goldberg who is also an avid user of Apple products. They live in New Jersey with their golden doodle Nava.

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Home Tech

Smile Pronto launched Smile Club, a new oral healthcare subscription kit that’s designed to deliver a complete ecosystem of oral care products straight to your door. The tri-monthly delivery can include items like Flosstime, a special toothbrush, and “smart mints” that are designed to enhance breath and clean teeth at the same time. Start your subscription for $31.